Slope Point is the southernmost point of the South Island.
The rocks here closer to the sea look very black.
Again, interesting signs of changes in the coastline and the land.
Right here, a little back from the cliff, the soil was eroding away. Who knows what this place will look like in another 500 years.
The different soil and rock layers are evident in this section of the cliff.
On our way from Slope Point to Curio Bay, we stopped briefly at Weir Beach. The tide was out and there were a few of these South Island Pied Oyster Catchers wading through the wet sand.
Eventually we reached Curio Bay. This is looking out over the bay, where the petrified forest is. During high tide, this area is covered with water—it's best to visit four hours either side of low tide. The wooden structure you can see to the right in the distance is a viewing platform and walkway down to the floor of the bay.
On the viewing platform, a sign explains how millions of years ago, "steady heavy rain fell on nearby ash-covered volcanoes, creating rivers of mud, ash and rocks. These ash-filled waters flooded hundreds of square kilometres including this forest. The ash in the floodwater was rich in silica which impregnated the standing trees, literally turning them to stone in the space of months."
We went down to get a closer look.
It was not always easy to pick the trees. The next three photos show this wood of a tree . . .
. . . closer . . .
. . . and closer.
This looks like what was left of a tree stump
After leaving Curio Bay, just around the corner is Porpoise Bay.
A very different sight. White sand, and surf coming from all directions.
They say this is where you often see Hector Dolphins, but we saw none today.
The sea was wild and rough. It was very chilly and windy, and so we didn't hang around too long.
On the way home, just south of Waikawa, we found this little wharf on an estuary feeding into Porpoise Bay
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